Patents Examined by Lamson Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10142508
    Abstract: A battery-powered printer includes a printing head that has a plurality of heat generating elements arranged along a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of a recording medium and is configured to print on the recording medium, a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the printer, and a processor configured to determine whether the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold, determine a constant printing speed at the time of printing under a condition where the temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold, and control the printing head and a transporting speed of the recording medium so as to cause each line of the print data to be printed on the recording medium at the constant printing speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Okiharu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10131165
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided that is configured to store a plurality of pieces of gap information respectively corresponding to a plurality of examined sections discretely arranged along a head moving direction on a recording sheet, each of the plurality of examined sections including a corresponding one portion of top portions and bottom portions on the recording sheet, and calculate interpolation gap information to be interpolated over a whole width in the head moving direction of at least one of a plurality of segments, each of which has a width in the head moving direction defined by two adjacent sections of the plurality of examined sections, based on the stored gap information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 10124599
    Abstract: A quick release print head includes a heating block, a nozzle tube and a connecting tube. The nozzle tube is inserted in the heating block. One end of the nozzle tube has a nozzle and the other end is extended with an extension tube exposed to the heating block. The connecting tube is connected with the extension tube. Whereby, the extension tube extended from the nozzle tune is exposed to the heating block so that the nozzle tube disposed near the heating block cannot be disassembled. Thus a process of replacing components by heating a nozzle can be bypassed, and advantages of quick disassembly and easy maintenance of the print head can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignees: XYZPRINTING, INC., KINPO ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Yang-Teh Lee, Shih-Wei Huang
  • Patent number: 10124591
    Abstract: A printer is disclosed. One printer includes a first head unit being elongate in a longitudinal direction. The first head unit has a first nozzle group having a plurality of first nozzles arrayed with a first pitch along the longitudinal direction. The printer includes a second head unit being elongate in the longitudinal direction. The second head unit has a second nozzle group having a plurality of second nozzles arrayed along the longitudinal direction. The second nozzle group includes a plurality of nozzle sets. Each of the plurality of the nozzle sets includes some of the plurality of second nozzles. The second nozzles in each of the plurality of the nozzle sets arrayed with the first pitch along the longitudinal direction. The plurality of the nozzle sets are arrayed with a second pitch along the longitudinal direction. The second pitch is different from the first pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaharu Ito
  • Patent number: 10118422
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: a carriage; a lever rotatable about an axis of a shaft and including a lever arm; and a guide having an elongate hole defined by a first edge portion having stoppers for retaining the lever arm and a second edge portion, wherein the guide having an inclined portion including an inclined surface for rotating the lever arm toward the second edge portion and formed downstream of the stoppers in a first direction, wherein the biasing member biases the lever in a second direction opposite to the first direction and in a direction directed from the second edge portion toward the first edge portion, and wherein a distance between: a first position where the inclined surface and the lever arm contact; and the axis of the shaft is larger than a distance between: a second position where each stopper contacts the lever arm; and the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuta Arakawa
  • Patent number: 10118380
    Abstract: Certain examples of seals that can move along a slit are disclosed. The seals can comprise a first leaf, a second leaf, and a biasing member to push the first leaf away from the second leaf. Also, apparatus for applying a fluid, and printing systems are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventor: Alex Feygelman
  • Patent number: 10118411
    Abstract: A drying device includes a plurality of heaters and a conveyance path. The plurality of heaters is disposed side by side in a direction of conveyance of a medium to contact and heat the medium to which liquid is applied. The medium is conveyed on the conveyance path while contacting the plurality of heaters. The conveyance path includes a first path and a second path. On the first path, the medium is conveyed while contacting the plurality of heaters. On the second path, the medium is conveyed while contacting again at least one of the plurality of heaters having contacted on the first path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera, Sho Sawahata, Junji Nakai
  • Patent number: 10112415
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes (A) a carriage that moves a nozzle ejecting a liquid which is cured by irradiation of an electromagnetic wave in a moving direction, (B) a first irradiation section that is installed on the carriage and irradiates electromagnetic waves on dots formed by landing the liquid which is ejected from the moving nozzle, on a medium, and (C) a second irradiation section that is installed on the carriage and irradiates electromagnetic waves on the dots which are irradiated by the electromagnetic waves from the first irradiation section, in which an irradiance level of the electromagnetic waves from the second irradiation section is different from that of the electromagnetic waves from the first irradiation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toyohiko Mitsuzawa
  • Patent number: 10112384
    Abstract: According to an example, in a method for enhancing temperature distribution uniformity across a printer die, in which the printer die includes a plurality of drop generators arranged in a plurality of columns, a warming map that identifies the drop generators of the plurality of drop generators that are to be supplied with warming pulses to enhance temperature distribution uniformity across the printer die may be accessed. The warming map may identify a non-uniform distribution of the drop generators across a column of the plurality of columns. In addition, the warming map may be implemented to supply the drop generators identified in the warming map as the drop generators that are to receive the warming pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Clayton L. Holstun, Kelly Ronk, James A. Feinn
  • Patent number: 10112421
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a conveyor that conveys a medium including a base layer and a separation layer and including a first through third regions; a printer; and a controller. The controller is configured to: obtain wrapping-manner information indicating (a) a first wrapping manner in which the second region and the third region are wrapped around a wrapped member after the first region and the third region are stuck to each other such that the printed medium is located around the wrapped member or (b) a second wrapping manner in which the second region and the third region are wrapped around the wrapped member after the first region is stuck to the wrapped member; and change control of the conveyor and the printer, depending upon whether the obtained wrapping-manner information indicates the first or second wrapping manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Ito, Junya Kawai, Shuhei Nohara, Harumitsu Inoue, Yukihiko Sato, Haruki Matsumoto, Kentaro Murayama
  • Patent number: 10112422
    Abstract: A method of aligning a first image on a first side of a medium and a second image on a second side of a medium, the first side and the second side facing away from each other, includes using an imaging device for printing the first image and a discrimination feature including a discriminatory edge perpendicular to an alignment direction in a coordinate system of the medium on a first side of the medium while controlling the position of the medium with respect to a coordinate system of the imaging device based on a first set of feed parameters and using the imaging device for printing the second image and a plurality of features on the second side of the medium while controlling the position of the medium in the coordinate system of the imaging device based on a second set of feed parameters, the plurality of features including a first feature, a second feature and a third feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: OCÉ HOLDING B.V.
    Inventor: Christian Tremblay
  • Patent number: 10112423
    Abstract: What is disclosed is an object holder for retaining an object in a direct-to-object print system and a direct-to-object print system configured to use various embodiments of the object holder of the present invention. In one embodiment, the object holder has an open-sided container configured to slideably traverse a support member positioned parallel to a plane formed by at least one printhead of a direct-to-object print system. A plurality of relatively small ferrous metallic pieces of varying shapes and sizes are contained within the container. An object to be printed is placed in the container an at least partially embedded in the metal pieces. An electromagnet generates a magnetic field which causes the metallic pieces to clump together thereby physically retaining the object in the container while the object is being moved along the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Bertman
  • Patent number: 10103467
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus is provided with a first flexible flat cable, a second flexible flat cable, a head unit, and a liquid absorbing member, the head unit includes discharge section which discharges a liquid due to driving signals being applied, a discharge surface which is provided with a discharge opening for discharging the liquid, a first connection section which is connected to the first flexible flat cable, and a second connection section which is connected to the second flexible flat cable, and the liquid absorbing member is provided between the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10093111
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for printing a three-dimensional object. For example, a method includes determining a target thickness for a region of the three-dimensional object. A color for the region is determined. The color is assigned a color density. A color thickness for the color is determined based on the color density. The target thickness is independent from the color thickness. A color layer having the color thickness in the region is printed. A structural thickness for a structural layer of the region is determined based on the color thickness and the target thickness. The structural layer having the structural thickness is printed directly onto the color layer. A combination of the color layer and the structural layer has the target thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd W. Miller, Jeremy D. Walker
  • Patent number: 10071573
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit configured to unwind a portion of a rolled sheet and convey the unwound sheet, a ribbon conveying unit configured to convey a ribbon having thereon a coloring layer that is not visible up to a predetermined temperature and becomes visible above the predetermined temperature, a thermal head configured to transfer the coloring layer on the ribbon to a portion of the unwound sheet, and a cutter configured to cut off a portion of the unwound sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Okiharu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10065436
    Abstract: A printer includes a first controller to cause a primer discharge head to discharge, from its nozzle, primer onto a recording medium and then cause a first ultraviolet light applicator to apply ultraviolet light to the primer, thus forming a first primer layer on the recording medium; a second controller to cause the primer discharge head to discharge, from its nozzle, the primer onto the first primer layer and the recording medium and then cause a second ultraviolet light applicator to apply ultraviolet light to the primer, thus forming a second primer layer on the first primer layer and the recording medium; and a third controller to cause an ink discharge head to discharge, from its nozzle, image-forming ink onto the second primer layer and then cause the first ultraviolet light applicator to apply ultraviolet light to the image-forming ink, thus forming an ink layer on the second primer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Takasugi, Takeshi Yagi, Mitsuhiro Kato, Masanori Ishihara
  • Patent number: 10067340
    Abstract: A rotating polygonal mirror has deflection faces for deflecting a light beam. A motor drives the polygonal mirror. A first detection unit outputs a first signal by detecting a light beam. A second detection unit outputs a second signal whose period is different from a period of the first signal, by detecting magnetic flux change. A specifying unit obtains a phase relationship between the first signal and the second signal, and specifies a deflection face. A storage unit stores setting information for setting whether to use rising or falling of the second signal to specify the phase relationship. The specifying unit determines whether to use rising or falling of the second signal in order to obtain the phase relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuo Kamei, Shunsaku Kondo
  • Patent number: 10059129
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing portion that performs printing on a medium, a cutting portion that is capable of moving in a movement direction and that has cutting blades that cut the medium and a housing unit that holds the cutting blades, and a contact portion provided at a position at which the contact portion comes into contact with the housing unit when the cutting portion moves in the movement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takumi Sato
  • Patent number: 10059102
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes: a pressure chamber-forming plate in which a plurality of pressure chambers each communicating with a nozzle are formed; a vibration plate that defines one surface of each pressure chamber and allows for deformation of a defining region thereof; a piezoelectric element formed by stacking a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer in a region corresponding to the pressure chamber in an order from a surface of the vibration plate, which is opposite to the pressure chamber; and a circuit board that is arranged at an interval from the vibration plate, with a plurality of bump electrodes interposed therebetween, and outputs a signal for driving the piezoelectric element, wherein the first electrode layer is formed independently for each piezoelectric element, the second electrode layer is formed continuously across the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and at least part of the bump electrodes is electrically connected with the first electrode layer and t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Toshiaki Hamaguchi, Yoichi Naganuma, Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 10052892
    Abstract: Power required for a printing operation can be supplied while supplying power to a connected external device. A printer 1 connects to a smart device 2, and has: a power circuit 14; a USB interface 15 capable of supplying power to the smart device while communicating by wire with the smart device 2; a print unit 16 that prints; and a controller 11 that controls the print unit 16 to print in a power conservation mode when information instructing printing by the print unit 16 is received by the interface 15 from the smart device 2 while supplying power from the power circuit 14 to the smart device 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Satake